Bradford Regional Airport

Bradford Regional Airport
IATA: BFD ICAO: KBFD FAA LID: BFD
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner	Bradford Regional Airport Authority
Operator	Bradford Regional Airport Authority
Serves	Bradford, Pennsylvania
Location	McKean County, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Elevation  AMSL	2,143 ft / 653 m
Coordinates	41°48′11″N078°38′24″W / 41.80306°N 78.64000°W / 41.80306; -78.64000
Website	BradfordAirport.net
Map
BFD Show map of Pennsylvania BFD Show map of the United States
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 14/32 6,307 1,922 Asphalt 5/23 4,499 1,371 Asphalt
Statistics
Aircraft operations (2019) 2,987 Based aircraft (2022) 15
Source: Federal Aviation Administration [1]

Bradford Regional Airport( IATA : BFD ^[2] , ICAO : KBFD, FAA LID : BFD) is 11 miles south of Bradford, in Lafayette Township, McKean County, Pennsylvania. ^[1] It has scheduled airline service subsidized by the Essential Air Service program.

The airport is owned by the Bradford Regional Airport Authority ^[1] and serves Pennsylvania and western New York including Olean, NY. It is surrounded by the oil field which makes up a large part of local economy. Bradford is the home of Zippo lighters and Case knives; there is an armory at the airport for the National Guard.

The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2021–2025 categorized it as a non-primary commercial service airport (between 2,500 and 10,000 enplanements per year). ^[3]

Former airline service

Its first scheduled airline flights were United Airlines Douglas DC-3s in 1948. In 1953 United's DC-3 flew New York Newark Airport - Philadelphia - Bradford - Youngstown - Akron/Canton - Cleveland - Toledo - Chicago Midway Airport - Moline, IL - Cedar Rapids - Omaha - Lincoln, NE. ^[4] United left in 1954.

In 1953 Allegheny Airlines DC-3s stopped at Bradford on a multi-stop route between Buffalo, NY and Pittsburgh. ^[5] In 1971 Allegheny Convair 580s flew nonstop to Erie, Harrisburg, Jamestown, NY, New York Newark Airport, Pittsburgh and Washington National Airport and direct to Detroit. ^[6] Allegheny introduced McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30s and flew one-stop in 1976 from Chicago O'Hare Airport via Erie and from New York LaGuardia Airport via Elmira while continuing to fly nonstop Convair 580s from Buffalo and Pittsburgh. ^[7] Allegheny remained until 1979 when Allegheny Commuter took over, with nonstop Beechcrafts from Buffalo and nonstop Short 330s from Pittsburgh. ^[8] Allegheny Commuter service continued for a number of years for Allegheny successor USAir. ^[9] In 1994 Allegheny Commuter successor USAir Express was operating nonstop code sharing BAe Jetstream 31s to Pittsburgh. ^[10] USAir changed its name to US Airways with US Airways Express Beechcraft 1900Cs being flown nonstop to Pittsburgh in 1999. ^[11]

Facilities

The airport covers 1,015 acres (411 ha) at an elevation of 2,143 feet (653 m). It has two asphalt runways: 14/32 is 6,307 by 150 feet (1,922 x 46 m) and 5/23 is 4,499 by 100 feet (1,371 x 30 m). ^[1]

In the year ending January 31, 2019, the airport had 2,987 aircraft operations, an average of 8 per day: 80% commercial, 14% general aviation, 4% air taxi and 2% military. In April 2022, there were 15 aircraft based at this airport: all 15 single-engine. ^[1]

Airline and destinations

Southern Airways Express currently provides BFD with daily commercial flights to Pittsburgh International Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport. There are two daily departures to each destination.

Scheduled passenger flights:

Airlines	Destinations	Refs
Southern Airways Express	Pittsburgh, Washington–Dulles	[12]

Statistics

Top domestic destinations: February 2021 – January 2022 ^[13]

Rank	City	Airport name & IATA code	Passengers
1	Pittsburgh, PA	Pittsburgh International Airport	2,270
2	Washington, D.C.	Dulles International Airport	1,020

Passenger boardings (enplanements) by year, as per the FAA ^[14]

Year	2008 [15]	2009 [16]	2010 [17]	2011 [18]	2012 [19]	2013 [20]	2014 [21]	2015 [22]	2016 [23]	2017 [24]	2018 [25]
Enplanements	4,898	2,593	2,962	2,908	2,310	2,295	2,019	3,491	2,623	3,897	4,191
Change	057.80%	047.06%	014.23%	01.82%	020.56%	00.65%	012.03%	072.91%	024.86%	048.57%	07.54%
Airline	Colgan Air dba United Express	Gulfstream International Airlines dba Continental Connection	Gulfstream International Airlines dba Continental Connection	Gulfstream International Airlines dba United Express	Silver Airways dba United Express	Silver Airways dba United Express	Silver Airways dba United Express	Sun Air Express	Southern Airways Express	Southern Airways Express	Southern Airways Express
Destination(s)	Jamestown Washington-Dulles	Jamestown Cleveland	Jamestown Cleveland	Jamestown Cleveland	Jamestown Cleveland	Jamestown Cleveland	Jamestown Cleveland	Pittsburgh	Pittsburgh	Pittsburgh	Pittsburgh

Accidents and Incidents

Date	Flight Number	Information
December 24, 1968	AL0736	Allegheny Airlines Flight 736 crashed on approach to Bradford. 20 of the 47 passengers and crew on board are killed. [26]
January 6, 1969	AL0737	Allegheny Airlines Flight 737 crashed on approach to Bradford. 11 of the 28 passengers and crew on board are killed. [27]

See also

• List of airports in Pennsylvania

References

1. FAA Airport Form 5010 for BFD PDF . Federal Aviation Administration. effective April 21, 2022.
2. "IATA Airport Code Search (BFD: Bradford)". International Air Transport Association . Retrieved June 5, 2014.
3. "2011–2015 NPIAS Report, Appendix A" (PDF). National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems. Federal Aviation Administration. October 4, 2010. Archived from the original (PDF, 2.03 MB) on 2012-09-27.
4. http://www.timetableimages.com, Jan. 4, 1953 United timetable
5. http://www.timetableimages.com, April 26, 1953 Allegheny timetable
6. http://www.departedflights.com, March 1, 1971 Allegheny timetable
7. Feb. 1, 1976 Official Airline Guide
8. http://www.departedflights.com, Nov. 15, 1979 Official Airline Guide
9. http://www.departedflights.com, April 9, 1988 USAir & Allegheny Commuter route maps
10. Sept. 15, 1994 OAG Desktop Flight Guide
11. http://www.departedflights.com, June 1, 1999 Official Airline Guide
12. "Routes" . Retrieved 5 April 2017.
13. "RITA - BTS - Transtats".
14. "Passenger Boarding (Enplanement) and All-Cargo Data for U.S. Airports – Airports". www.faa.gov. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
15. "2008 Primary, Non-primary Commercial Service, and General Aviation Airports with Enplanements (by State)" (PDF, 1.0 MB). CY 2008 Passenger Boarding and All-Cargo Data. Federal Aviation Administration. December 18, 2009.
16. "2009 Primary, Non-primary Commercial Service, and General Aviation Airports (by State)" (PDF, 891 KB). CY 2009 Passenger Boarding and All-Cargo Data]. Federal Aviation Administration. November 23, 2010.
17. "2010 Primary, Non-primary Commercial Service, and General Aviation Airports (by State)" (PDF, 189 KB). CY 2010 Passenger Boarding and All-Cargo Data]. Federal Aviation Administration. October 4, 2011.
18. "2011 Enplanements at Primary, Non-primary Commercial Service, and General Aviation Airports (by State)" (PDF). CY 2011 Passenger Boarding and All-Cargo Data]. Federal Aviation Administration. October 9, 2012.
19. "2012 Enplanements at All Airports (Primary, Non-primary Commercial Service, and General Aviation) by State and Airport" (PDF). CY 2012 Passenger Boarding and All-Cargo Data]. Federal Aviation Administration. October 31, 2013.
20. "All Airports with CY 2013 Enplanements" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2014-10-20. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
21. "Calendar Year 2014 Enplanements by State" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2015-07-01.
22. "Calendar Year 2015 Enplanements by State" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2016-09-27.
23. "Calendar Year 2016 Final Revenue Enplanements at All Airports" (PDF).
24. "Calendar Year 2017 Final Revenue Enplanements at All Airports" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2018-10-17.
25. "Calendar Year 2016 Final Revenue Enplanements at All Airports" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2019-10-17.
26. "NTSB Identification: DCA69A0007". National Transportation Safety Board. December 24, 1968.
27. "NTSB Identification: DCA69A0011". National Transportation Safety Board. January 6, 1969.

Other sources

• Essential Air Service documents (Docket OST-2003-14528) from the U.S. Department of Transportation:
  • Order 2006-3-17 (March 24, 2006): selecting RegionsAir to provide essential air service (EAS) with 30-passenger Saab 340 aircraft at Bradford, Pennsylvania, and Jamestown, New York, for two years. Service will be three round trips a day to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, and the annual subsidy rate will be set at $1,649,913.
  • Order 2006-9-20 (September 21, 2006): tentatively vacating Order 2006-3-17 that selected Regions Air, Inc., to provide essential air service at Bradford, Pennsylvania, and Jamestown, New York, for two years. In addition, the Department is tentatively selecting Colgan Air, Inc., d/b/a US Airways Express to provide essential air service at both communities under its Pittsburgh option, i.e., three round trips each weekday and weekend to Pittsburgh at an annual subsidy rate of $2,434,827.
  • Order 2006-10-3 (October 4, 2006): finalizes Order 2006-9-20, which tentatively vacated our earlier selection of RegionsAir, Inc. to provide EAS at Bradford and Jamestown, and instead selects Colgan Air, Inc. d/b/a US Airways Express (Colgan) to provide EAS at both communities from October 1, 2006, through September 30, 2008, at an annual subsidy rate of $2,434,827. The subsidy rate is based on service to Pittsburgh, although Colgan has stated it is evaluating serving Washington Dulles International Airport instead of Pittsburgh, the service originally supported by both communities, at the same subsidy rate.
  • Order 2008-6-37 (June 30, 2008): selecting Gulfstream International Airlines, Inc. to provide subsidized essential air service (EAS) at Bradford, Pennsylvania, and Jamestown, New York, at a total annual subsidy of $2,701,865, for the two-year period from October 1, 2008, through September 30, 2010. However, if Gulfstream does not inaugurate full EAS by October 1, 2008, the selection defaults to Colgan Air, Inc. d/b/a United Express for the same two-period, for a total annual subsidy of $3,826,587.
  • Order 2010-9-12 (September 9, 2010): re-selecting Gulfstream International Airlines to provide essential air service (EAS) at Bradford, DuBois, and Oil City/Franklin, Pennsylvania, and Jamestown, New York, for a combined annual subsidy of $5,870,657 ($1,639,254 for Jamestown), from October 1, 2010, through September 30, 2012.
  • Order 2012-9-23 (September 27, 2012): selecting Silver Airways to provide Essential Air Service (EAS) at Bradford, DuBois, Franklin/Oil City, Pennsylvania, Jamestown, New York, and Parkersburg, West Virginia/Marietta, Ohio, for a combined annual subsidy of $10,348,117 ($1,940,272 for Bradford; $2,587,029 for DuBois, $1,293,515 for Franklin, $1,940,272 for Jamestown, and $2,587,029 for Parkersburg), from October 1, 2012, through September 30, 2014.
  • Notice of Intent (February 14, 2014): of Silver Airways Corp. to discontinue scheduled air service between Cleveland, Ohio (CLE) and: Jamestown, New York (JHW), Bradford, Pennsylvania (BFD), DuBois, Pennsylvania (DUJ), Franklin/Oil City, Pennsylvania (FKL), and Parkersburg, West Virginia/Marietta, Ohio (PKB).
  • Order 2014-4-26 (April 24, 2014): directing interested persons to show cause as to why the Department should not terminate the eligibility ... under the Essential Air Service (EAS) program based on criteria passed by Congress in the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 (Public Law No. 112-95). We find that Bradford is within 175 miles of a large or medium hub, Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF), a medium hub, and, thus, is subject to the 10-enplanement statutory criterion. We also find that during fiscal year 2013, Bradford generated a total of 4,292 passengers (inbound plus outbound). Consistent with the methodology described above, that results in an average of 6.9 enplanements per day, below the 10-enplanement statutory criterion necessary to remain eligible in the EAS program.

External links

• Official website
• Bradford Regional Airport at Pennsylvania DOT Bureau of Aviation
• Aerial image as of April 2001 from USGS The National Map
• FAA Terminal Procedures for BFD , effective December 28, 2023
• Resources for this airport:
  • FAA airport information for BFD
  • AirNav airport information for KBFD
  • ASN accident history for BFD
  • FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker
  • NOAA/NWS weather observations: current, past three days
  • SkyVector aeronautical chart, Terminal Procedures